What a time we live in. Oasis is touring and not fighting on stage, Coldplay is breaking up true love and soulmates, and Taylor Swift is running the NFL. Seriously, though, it's so good to see Deftones -- a band I grew up on in high-school -- swimming and kicking deftly and with ferocity. I always said I wanted new music to remind me of what Around the Fur and White Pony did. But also, to evolve and improve on the potential of records like Diamond Eyes and Ohms. Admittedly, as a Quicksand fan, I was cynical when Sergio Vega (bassist) departed, but Fred Sablan has made the transition so smooth and helped Private Music stand out as a classic, vintage novel from vocalist, Chino Moreno, and co.
Now, I often complained how overproduced Moreno's vocals were in the past and how he felt drowned out. Even on side projects like Crosses and Palms, I had the same quibble. I hoped for a better balance, per when he was a guest on Dance Gavin Dance's "Caviar." That middle line, thankfully, is well drawn on songs like "My Mind Is a Mountain" and "Locked Club." It starts the album off the way I wanted: intense, immense and truly packed with the nu-metal aura that made Deftones appeal so much in the 90s and 2000s. I also enjoy how industrial, techno and the electronic vibe are littered around, which does leave me giddy for all the smoke to come when AFI drop their new album.
My era... hey, we eatin' good again. The older folks be cookin'... as the cool kids say these days. Seriously, though, the grungy, gurgly bass on tracks like "Ecdysis" don't just build this array of tracks as angry without direction; it's the opposite. This ensemble is the right blend of chaos and melody. It helps that the videos and visualizers are dope too, giving off that artistic essence bands like Turnstile use on socials. It helps the reception and to bridge the gap to a new, modern generation of rockers that I don't think can grasp what Deftones did back then.
The energy is infectious, the pace is relentless and frenetic, and the magic is constant, truly carving out a 'back to form' aura. To the point, some would say they sound better than ever. "CXZ" is a prime example of this consistency. I can't blame them for making that nostalgic comparison, to be honest. Even on the slow-to-loud bangers like "I Think About You All the Time" or the buzzy "Milk of the Madonna," you're waiting for them to slip up. But they don't. These songs crush against the concrete, reminiscent of Korn and the Family Values era that washed over college radio back in the day.
As the album closes, "Cut Hands" feels like a banner track that makes you want more Rage Against the Machine, System of a Down, or Denzel Curry doing a rock/metal album. Deftones may not have been pioneers but they're still flying the flag high and at full mast. I had an ex see them last week with SOAD and I felt jealous. I hope she enjoyed it because if Deftones are in this kinda mode (yes, god mode), we should strap in and embrace the adage that maybe the best is yet to come. If Private Music is any indicator, then, damn, it'll be a tremendous ride. And personally, after seeing them and Rob Zombie years back, fingers crossed I can come to USA and see more of this nu-metal revival.